1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming system, image forming apparatus, and control method therefor and, more particularly, to an image forming system, image forming apparatus, and control method therefor suitably applicable to a copying machine or the like which is a composite apparatus of, e.g., a scanner (image reading device) for photoelectrically reading an original image and a printer for forming a copied image on the basis of image data.
2. Description of the Related Art
A variety of conventional high-speed, high-quality printers such as ink jet printers and laser beam printers have been proposed as output terminals of personal computers and workstations. Also, high-speed, high-resolution scanners and the like for inputting image data have been developed and put into practical use. Along with this stream, the stream of a multifunctional printer is advancing which integrates a scanner as one conventional standalone input terminal and a printer as one conventional standalone output terminal into a single composite apparatus. As a consequence, it is beginning to be possible to easily form copied images.
Unfortunately, the abovementioned prior art has the following problem. That is, in the multifunctional printer described above, an image processor performs a copying operation while independently communicating with a printer and a scanner. Therefore, even if a paper sheet supplied to the printer is different from a desired paper sheet and a xe2x80x9cno paperxe2x80x9d error occurs during the copying operation, the scanner performs scanning in accordance with the initial settings. Consequently, it takes a long time before the multifunctional printer is released from the job.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situation, and has as its object to provide an image forming system and its control method which when a xe2x80x9cno print sheetxe2x80x9d error occurs in a printer during a copying operation, can rapidly start the next copying operation.
According to the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by providing an image forming system comprising: an image reader for reading an image from an original; a printer for printing the image read by the image reader onto a print medium; and a processor for terminating the read operation by the image reader if a xe2x80x9cno print mediumxe2x80x9d error occurs during the printing operation by the printer.
According to the present invention, the foregoing object is also attained by providing a control method of an image forming system comprising an image reader, a printer, and a processor, comprising: the image reading step of reading an image from an original by using the image reader; the printing step of printing the image read in the image reading step onto a print medium by using the printer; and the termination step of terminating the image reading step by using the processor if a xe2x80x9cno print mediumxe2x80x9d error occurs in the printer during the printing step.
In the above arrangements, even if print media are used up in the printer during a copying operation in which the image reader reads an image and the read image data is printed, the image read operation by the image reader is immediately terminated. Hence, the next copying operation can be rapidly started.
Preferably, control is so performed that the image reading means is returned to the initial standby position at the same time the read operation is terminated. With this arrangement, even if print media are used up in the printer during a copying operation in which the image reader reads an image and the processor sequentially converts the read image data into print data and transfers the print data to the printer to perform printing, the image read operation by the image reader is terminated, and the image reading means is returned to the initial standby position. Accordingly, the next copying operation can be rapidly started.